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Moms of teens, tweens, and little ones; this week’s message is for you! We hope you enjoyed your Mother’s Day with your family and loved ones, and we’d like to continue the celebration by officially honoring you for all of your hard work, dedication, selflessness, energy, and time. Today, we recognize the countless hours you spent helping your child prepare for spelling tests, the time spent helping complete college apps and FAFSA forms, the endless trips you’ve taken shuttling to school, games, events, and study sessions, the thousands of lunches you’ve made, the untold hours healing bruises, illnesses, and wounded spirits, and the million other ways you’ve invested in your children, the next generation. Thank you!

How we raise our kids today will impact them and the world around them for the rest of their lives. After all, we are not only raising children; we’re raising future adults. Putting in your due diligence by modeling and teaching important values such as integrity, resilience, honesty, good work ethic, and kindness, will help your kids thrive in adulthood. It will help them create stronger, healthier relationships, be successful in their careers, and generally have a higher happiness quotient. Why? All because of the foundation you’re laying for them now.

At LifeSmart, we are committed to equipping the next generation to thrive, just like you, moms (and dads)! That’s why it’s so important that parents, educators, and mentors are equipped with tools to help the children they’re guiding successfully launch with confidence. Our goal is to help them hone in on crucial leadership and life skills so young people can excel in independent life, college, career, and beyond.

Parents play an indispensable role in preparing the next generation. What they do is not easy; in fact, it’s probably one of the hardest jobs in the world. Moms, today we’re looking at you. And we’re here to help support you.

Doesn’t it feel like navigating the world of parenting, especially teens, is tricky? Teens can be completely unpredictable! Some days they burst in the door from school, dying to talk to you, but the next moment they’re moody and aloof! Some days it feels like they won’t stop asking you for things, but then the next moment they completely shut you out. And, sometimes it’s difficult to know when or how to communicate with them, especially when you’re adjusting to your new role as “chief encourager.”Dropping off your recent high school graduate at the freshman dormitory is the beginning of a new chapter for both of you. And for moms especially, it’s fraught with mixed feelings.

Today, as we wrap up a week focused on our appreciation for moms, all of us at LifeSmart want to acknowledge all the different ways that parenting can pull your heart in a million different directions. With that, moms, here are three encouraging tidbits as you begin your new year:

When times are difficult or you feel stretched, it’s okay to focus on you. Self-care is one of the most important steps in being a good parent, spouse, and friend. As the dynamic of your life changes while your children become more independent, you may have more time to do the things that YOU want to do. Consider igniting an old passion, picking up a new hobby, and remembering all the things that make you, YOU outside of your role as mom.

In the season of “launch time,” find a community of parents who are in the same stage of life. How are they coping? What are they doing to ensure a successful launch for themselves, too? How are they planning for their next chapter? Surrounding yourself with other people who are also parenting older teens will help you feel understood, encouraged, and inspired. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE.

Remember, while moving from driver’s seat to passenger’s seat can be hard, you’re gaining a relationship with your new adult, not losing a child! Even though allowing your teen to begin making their own life choices can be a scary thought, they will always have you as an ally. You will forever be their biggest cheerleader and friend. No matter what, you will always be one of the most important voices in their life.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at LifeSmart. Where would we be without you?

Moms, this week is for you! This is for the sleepless nights, the time spent sitting in the rain watching sports games, the time spent helping with college apps and figuring out the FAFSA, the time spent encouraging, hoping, praying, dreaming, and the countless other ways you’ve invested in your children. This week we honor the immeasurable effort you’ve put into raising your children.

How we raise our kids now—even if there are years until launch time—will impact them for the rest of their life. After all, we aren’t just raising kids; we’re raising future adults. Putting in our due diligence to instill important values like resilience, respect, responsibility, integrity, honesty, work ethic, and determination, will impact the way our teens thrive in adulthood.

At LifeSmart, we are committed to equipping and educators and mentors with the tools they need to help their students thrive. Our aim is to help prepare the next generation with CRUCIAL LIFE SKILLS so they can excel in independent life, college, career, and beyond.

However, educators are not our only focus. Parents play an indispensable role in preparing the next generation. What they do is not easy; in fact, it’s probably one of the hardest jobs in the world. Moms, today we’re looking at you.

Navigating the world of parenting teens can be tricky. They can be moody, unpredictable, and aloof. They can rely on you for too much, or distance themselves when they’re ready for independence. Sometimes they betray our trust or test the limits on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s difficult to know how or when to communicate with them and whether any of your words are sticking. And one of the hardest parts of all, is knowing that it will soon be time to let go and adapt to a new role as chief encourager and on-call advisor. Dropping off your recent high school graduate at the freshman dormitory is the beginning of a new chapter for both of you. And for moms especially, it’s fraught with mixed feelings.

Today, we at LifeSmart want to acknowledge all the different ways that parenting can pull your heart in a million different directions. We affirm your hard work, and appreciate your effort in raising up the next generation of leaders, teachers, thinkers, and artists, even when it gets difficult. So moms, here are three encouraging tidbits of wisdom for you as we embark on Mother’s Day weekend:

In this season of “launch time,” find a community of parents who are in the same stage of life. How are they coping? What are they doing to ensure a successful launch? You will find you have a lot in common and much to talk about (and eventually, more time to “hang out!”). Surrounding yourself with other people who are also parenting older teens will make you feel understood, encouraged, and give you a shoulder to lean on. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE.

Remember, moving from driver’s seat to passenger’s seat can be hard, but know you’re gaining a relationship with your new adult, not losing a child! Even though allowing your teen to begin making their own life choices can be a scary thought, they will always have you as an ally. You will forever be their biggest cheerleader and friend.

It’s okay to focus on you. Self-care is one of the most important steps in a being a good parent, spouse, and friend. As the dynamic of your life begins to change as your kids get older, you may realize you have more time to do things YOU want to do. Use this as an opportunity to rediscover old passions (or develop new ones), learn a new skill, and remember what makes you YOU, aside from your role as mom. You deserve it!

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at LifeSmart. Where would we be without you?